


Penalty for Violating Curfew: Fifteen Points

by JeiFYuka



Series: Hufflepuff!Lorenz [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: 5th Year Won't Stay In Bed!Claude, 6th Year Perfect!Lorenz, All the other characters are just mentions, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, And Claude's, Claudenz if you squint, Failnaught as a magical pet, Gen, Gryffindor!Claude, Hufflepuff!Lorenz, Liberal Interpretation, M/M, Questionably Time Line, Rated for author's potty mouth, Wordless Magic, gratuitous run-on sentences, no beta we die like Glenn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:55:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23750425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JeiFYuka/pseuds/JeiFYuka
Summary: Sixth year Hufflepuff Perfect, Lorenz Hellman Gloucester is very much done with Claude von Riegan's shit, catching the 5th year Gryffindor transfer student breaking curfew at least once a week and giving the flimsiest excuses. This time however, Claude's reasoning sounds vaguely plausible: His magical pet went missing.
Relationships: Lorenz Hellman Gloucester/Claude von Riegan
Series: Hufflepuff!Lorenz [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1710913
Comments: 4
Kudos: 39





	Penalty for Violating Curfew: Fifteen Points

**Author's Note:**

> Lorenz Hellman Gloucester -  
> House: Hufflepuff (He was initially very upset being sorted into this house as the Gloucester family was traditionally made up of Slytherins. More than anything, he was fearful of his father’s disapproval, but he quickly learned to love and accept his house.)  
> Wand: Elm/Unicorn Hair (“Elm wands prefer owners with presence, magical dexterity and a certain native dignity. Of all wand woods, elm produces the fewest accidents, the least foolish errors, and the most elegant charms and spells” –HP Wiki).
> 
> Claude Von Riegan  
> House: Gryffindor (Formally Slytherin but got transferred out the first week, unable to deal with the pure-blood propaganda. His second choice was actually Ravenclaw but being in Gryffindor suited his personal agenda better. Transferred to Hogwarts 5th year—no one knows where he went to school before.)  
> Wand: Ebony/Phoenix Feather (“Ebony is happiest in the hand of those with the courage to be themselves. Frequently non-conformist, highly individual or comfortable with the status of outsider” - HP Wiki)
> 
> \------------------------------------------------------------

If anyone asks, Lorenz was far too busy performing his duties as a Perfect to pay attention to the hottest gossip that has been splashed across the front pages of the Daily Prophet for months. Lorenz did his best to ignore it as he walks through hallowed halls, took meals with his fellow schoolmates, and avoided taking part in discussions in the common room. No, Lorenz Hellman Gloucester had far more important matters to attend to such as guiding the new first year students through the changing corridors, keeping returning students (and Peeves) in line, attending Perfect Meetings—never mind his N.E.W.T. classes—but alas it seems that no matter how much Lorenz wanted to avoid the topic of ongoing conversation, the subject of gossip himself was doing a terrible job staying out of Lorenz’s way.

“It’s well past curfew, von Riegan.” A hunched over figure in the shadows, draped in black, scarlet, and gold, flinched. It took all of the purple haired Perfect’s willpower not to just stupify the familiar lurker on the spot, levitate the stunned offender back to the Gryffindor tower, and leave him in front of the Fat Lady for Hilda and the others to deal with in the morning.

The offender stepped out from the shadows and into a column of moonlight, with a flash of a deceptive grin and a glint of a gold earring. “Why, Perfect Gloucester, fancy seeing you here!” The fifth year Gryffindor greeted with false surprise, over gesticulating as if the wide sweep of his arms would distract Lorenz of the fact that he was...well…there.

“Hmm, well, unfortunately I can’t say the same. Pray tell, what has you sneaking about the castle past curfew this time?” Claude von Riegan shifted his weight to one foot, bringing his hands to the back of his head, lightly musing it in thought. 

“I am just looking for something that went missing,” he responded after a moment. 

“At this time of night? Certainly, whatever was misplaced could wait until morning.”

“Uhhh…it kinda can’t?” Lorenz crossed his arms, an impatient finger tapping his arm. 

“It kind of can’t.” He repeats dully, “Please elaborate.” 

“Failnaught slipped out in the middle of the night.”

“Excuse me, who?” 

“Failnaught,” Claude said again as if the name meant anything to the sixth year Perfect, it certainly didn’t sound like any student’s name that he knew of. “She’s my pet.” 

“I see…” Lorenz began, “I don’t suppose you’d care to enlighten me about how your pet managed to escape the enchanted tower so late at night, by herself.”

“I don’t appreciate what you’re insinuating, Perfect Gloucester--and I was serious about the bathroom thing the other night.” He highly doubted that, but by now Lorenz knew better than to take anything Claude von Riegan said at face value. “As for how Failnaught got out of the tower, I honestly have no idea on how she managed that. I just want to go find her and make sure she’s not causing trouble.”

“Be that as it may, students are not to leave their tower after curfew, as I have stated countless times before. Fifteen points from Gryffindor.” 

Claude flinches at the announcement, though he certainly expected it. Lorenz had generously given him a free pass when he first caught Claude sneaking around at the beginning of the year, since then he has had at least 105 points docked from his house. It was still only November. 

“If what you are saying is true, von Riegan, I will help you find your wayward pet. Afterwards, I will promptly be escorting you back to your tower.”

If the Gryffindor was trying to hide his grimace, he was doing a poor job of it. “That’s completely unnecessary, Perfect Gloucester. I don’t know how long it will take to find Failnaught; it might even take all night and into the morning! I certainly don’t want to inconvenience you since I am sure you have early classes and other Perfect duties to attend to--”

“Nonsense, it is exactly because of my position as a Perfect that I am obligated to help a student in need.” Though the situation was not ideal, it wasn’t as if he could leave Claude to simply roam the castle unchecked. “I will alert the other Perfects on duty to aid us in our sear---”

“That’s not necessary!” Claude shouted. Lorenz blinked, taken aback by his sudden outburst. 

“Pardon?” 

“That’s not necessary,” he said again, much calmer this time. For this first time since the conversation started, Claude drops out of his lackadaisical pose, bowing his head and he scrubs furiously at the wavy dark tuffs. He stopped as abruptly as he started, looking straight at his senor’s lilac colored eyes. “I’ll gratefully except your help, Perfect Gloucester, but I humbly ask that you don’t involve anyone else.”

Lorenz, startled by the sudden seriousness as he was of the outburst, conceded. “Very well. If this wild goose chase is to be conducted by just the two of us, I hope you have some sort of lead.” Claude huffed a laugh. 

“I do, in fact.” He steps away from where he was crouching before, in what Lorenz assumed was his poor attempt to hide away, and gestures to something on the ground. Lorenz walks closer to inspect it. 

Whatever it was, it was paper thin and nearly transparent. Lorenz was surprised that it was able to hold some sort of shape despite how filmy it seemed. 

“Looks like Failnaught’s shedding,” Claude supplemented. 

“A lizard?”

“Let’s just say she’s a type of reptile from my home country.”

Lorenz hums noncommittally in response. The origin of Riegan’s new heir apparent was a subject of much controversy and mystery, he would rather not get into. His father raved about it for days after Oswald von Riegan suddenly announced the existence of his long-lost grandson. Lorenz thought he could escape it while he was at Hogwarts, yet here he was.

“Anyway,” Clause began, seemingly as eager to sidestep the subject as Lorenz was, “if we follow the trail of dead skin cells, it should lead right us to Failly.” Lorenz paused in his steps.

“Do you really call her that, do you?” Lorenz asked with delicately wrinkled nose.

“God no!” Claude laughed, picking up the shed skin and shoving it in his pocket. “I just that it might annoy you.”

Lorenz really should have just stunned him. 

\-------------------------------

Walking through the halls, the two students continued pursuing the trail Claude was following before Lorenz caught him. Claude was delighted by the lumos on the end of Lorenz’s wand, saying it was helpful as they kept their eyes on the ground in hopes of seeing some barely opaque flakes, or better yet, the escapee herself. 

“Where is your wand?” Lorenz had asked in response to the comment.

“Oh, I must have left it in my room.” Claude said breezily.

“How in Merlin’s beard does a wizard forget to carry their own wand?”

“I was in a rush! There isn’t anything in Hogwarts’s handbook saying that student had to carry their wand with them at all times.”

Bickering in such fashion half an hour had passed by with only six more scraps of discarded skin found and no reptile in sight. To Lorenz’s chagrin, only one of those finds was his. Claude, he found out, had excellent night vision. 

The trail led them up the astrology tower, of all places, the flecks getting smaller and more frequent as they went up the spiraled steps. At the top, the door to the classroom was left ajar. Before the Perfect could touch the door, Claude grabbed his shoulder, holding him back, the other hand pointing to the light on his wand and shook his head. 

Frowning but complying with the silent instructions Lorenz whispered, “Nox.” The light immediately flicked out. Even with just the unreliable moonlight streaming through the window, Lorenz could make out Claude’s grateful smile. He moved back so his junior could move in first. 

Claude crept in slowly, inadvertently reminding Lorenz of a silly muggle mystery cartoon Ignotz introduced to him a few years back as Claude did his best not to let the hinges squeak as he stuck his head in before slinking in the rest of the way through the door that was barely wide enough. Unsure if he was meant to follow or not, Lorenz lingered for a moment before he heard Claude’s shouting from within: 

“Oh Fuck! Frailnaught, no!” 

Copying none of Claude’s caution, Lorenz swung open the door, wand poised in hand ready to deal with any sort of chaos. What he saw took him a moment to process. 

Claude, in none of his earlier gracefulness was staggering about the classroom, hands raised to catch whatever it was that was hop/flailing about the room, knocking over divination tools, quills, and whatever else was once left upright on the tables. For someone who usurped the position of Seeker when he transferred into Hogwarts his fifth year, Claude was certainly was having difficulty catching something that as much larger and much slower than a Snitch.  


Eyes finally adjusting to the dark, Lorenz could almost make out what was supposedly Frailnaught. It did have a lizard-esque shape, but from the glimpses Lorenz could catch of its spiny head, it was not a species he recognized. With growing alarm, Lorenz took note that its body it was distorted…a glamor? Another oddity clicked in Lorenz’s mind: The reptile thing—whatever it was—wasn’t jumping around the room. No, there were moments where it was suspended too long in the air, or even switched directions midair. 

“Riegan,” Lorenz asked in a daze. “What is---”

“Lorenz! Door!” Seeing the lizard-not-lizard suddenly dart towards him, Lorenz didn’t think twice before wordlessly closing the door with a flick of his wand and ducking away from the reptilian projectile.

With her escape route thwarted, the creature keened, bounce-flying in a small circle before heading towards the open window. Claude, anticipating this, demonstrated his seeker reflexes, finally catching her before she made it to the window. 

“Baby, calm down. It’s okay, girl, it’s okay.” He cooed at the squirming bundle in his arms. Failnaught continued struggling as Claude tried to keep a gentle but secure hold on her, saying sweet platitudes all the while. 

Lorenz had taken the time to compose himself, staying back from Claude has he tried to settle his pet. The last thing he wanted to do when they finally caught the blasted creature was to aggravates her despite his own burning curiosity and growing apprehension. 

It took less time than he imaged for Claude to calm the beast. With all the chaos of just minutes before, the glamoured pet now laid contently in Claude’s arms, receiving pets as the Gryffindor ran a finger down her head in a soothing repetitive motion. Gathering his courage, Lorenz spoke.

“von Riegan, please tell me that is not a baby dragon.” The chagrined look Claude sent his way did not give Lorenz any confidence for hope. 

“She’s not,” he denied. “I wasn’t lying when I said Failnaught was some sort of reptile.”

“A dragon is also a bonified—”

“She’s not a dragon,” Claude interrupted lowly. “There’s no reason for me to lie to you at this point…please believe me. You can even check for yourself.” He stepped closer to Lorenz. 

Taking a deep breath, the Perfect closed the gap until he was standing inches away from Claude, towering above his younger classman by half a head as he looked down at the reptile in Claude’s arms. Lorenz hovered the tip of his wand above the not-lizard, before making a slow sweeping motion down her length. 

“Revelio.” Failnaught shimmied a little as the glamour was dispelled, revealing clawed wings, small torso followed by a rounded stomach, ridged back that pattered down to the tip of her tail. Tucked under Claude’s arm, Lorenz could still make out long, powerful back legs, with toes that ended with talons. No arms—no, the arms were apart of the wings… Lorenz exhaled slowly. He had only seen this creature depicted in story books—not at all common in Magical England, much less Europe. 

“Not a dragon,” Lorenz whispered as he stepped back, watching the creature, not much bigger than a guinea pig, spread one wing, chirping up at Claude as his chest restricted the release of the other. “But not much better...” He met Claude’s green eyes, still in disbelief at what he is seeing. “Where did you get her? How did you manage to sneak her into castle—no don’t answer that one, I can make an educated guess---but what in damnation were you thinking bring a wyvern in to the school?” He tried to keep his voice measured, tried to stay calm, but he could feel himself succumbing to hysteria, anger, incredulity. “Don’t you know that wyverns are on the Dangerous Beasts list, not to mentioned, Endangered Magical Species. Claude, you can be expelled for this? Does anyone else know?” 

“If I tell you will you not report this to the Headmaster?”

“Claude!”

“I am serious! I don’t plan on getting expelled nor do I want Failnaught to be taken away from me. Not until she’s ready anyway.” He cradled the wyvern more protectively against him, easing his embrace at her protest. He ran his finger under her chin in apology. “If I tell you, you have to promise me not to tell anyone. This is why I didn’t want you to call the other Perfects to help…you’re the only one.” Claude licked his lips that suddenly felt chapped. “You’re the only one that knows that Failnaught isn’t just some exotic lizard.” 

“Oh Claude…” He sighed weakly. “I have to report this, it’s my duty.” 

“You don’t have to! I let you come with me because I trust you. Aren’t you Hufflepuffs supposed to be all about loyalty and kindness?” Lorenz didn’t take kindly to this delinquent trying to appeal to his house traits.

“It’s loyalty and fair play, which includes a strong moral code.”

“Can’t you bend that moral code just a little this one time?”

“We can’t all be you, von Riegan. How were you planning on keeping up this charade anyway? From my understanding before the academic year is up, your pet will grow to be larger than a horse. How were you planning on explaining her rapid growth, never mind providing a sufficient amount of sustenance for a creature that size?” Really, what a poorly executed and haphazard plan. Is Lorenz to believe this was the next leader of the Leicester Alliance? No. Ministry politics was not his concern. Not while he was in school…

“She would have been gone before then.” Claude began softly, breaking Lorenz out of his thought. “Keeping her with me was suppose to be temporary. Failnaught is the runt of her batch…she was small and sickly. Her flock would have let her die so I offered to take her since she thinks I am her mum?”

“Her what?”

“I was the first person she saw when she hatched, so she imprinted me as mummy wyvern or something,” he explained with a lopsided grin. Lorenz hated how his brain thought it was cute despite the stressful situation. “Anyhow, Failnaught was tiny to begin with, and her wings hadn’t developed, so it was easy enough to conceal…well, until today. I am supposing to look after her until she’s strong enough to be independent then hand her over to a contact during Christmas break. That contact knows people in the wyvern conservatory business. They would take her back to her flock, none the wiser. So, you see, it was all planned out.”

“But she escaped from the tower.” Lorenz mused. 

“But she escaped from the tower.”

Both remained silent after that, Failnaught chirping and wiggling after being held for so long. Lorenz, without think much about it, closed and latched the window allowing Claude to release the young wyvern without fear of another escape. 

Lorenz placed a boney hand to his chin in contemplation, eyes going back and forth between the wyvern trying to take off from the ground, and Claude, who watched him with equally contemplative eyes. What a mess...but alas there was only one right thing to do.

“As much as I hate to folly another one of your schemes, von Riegan, I will be reporting you to the headmaster.” Lorenz stated, resolutely walks towards the pair. Claude’s stance has become stiff at the announcement. Ignoring whatever exclamation or argument the other gave, Lorenz wordlessly waved his wand at the Failnaught.

“Hey! What are you doing!” Claude shouted, dropping to his knees as he helplessly watched his frantically squawking wyvern become distorted from the head down—wings quickly receding into her arms, filling them out as the arms are brought forward to support her body, and the powerful back legs becoming squat, resettling towards its hindquarters. 

Mouth agape, Claude looks down at his now…lizard. Failnaught looks like her earlier glamoured self, but much, much, improved. 

“I will report to the headmaster that I have once again caught you roaming the halls after curfew—though this time, due to your run-away pet.” Lorenz began. “At this rate, no matter how many points the other members of your house manage to accumulate, it will not be enough to make them competitive with the other houses by the end of the academic year. In light of these matters, I will strongly recommend to the headmaster that you will spend your evenings after dinner in detention, where you will be going over Transfiguration with me.” Lorenz paused, looking down at Claude who was looking up at him with unabashed astonishment. “Do you understand what I mean? I understand it’s not ideal having Failnaught this way but at least during detention I will return her to her original form where she can spend the time practice flying and you practice transfiguration until you are comfortable shifting her on your own.” 

Seeing as Claude’s face has not moved, Lorenz cleared his throat in nervous discomfort, eyeing Claude warily. “This will of course also mean that I will be telling headmaster the truth, but Headmaster Dumbledore is a kind man, if not known to be a bit eccentric. I do not believe he will do anything to jeopardize you or your pet wyvern as long as we are able to keep the ruse until Christmas. I am sure this goes without saying that this will also mean that you will cease your nightly dalliance doing Merlin knows what. Are we in agreement?”

At the end of the explanation the bewildered expression slowly melts off Claude face into something blinking yet blank. For a moment Lorenz wondered if he had somehow broken the school mischief maker until suddenly the Gryffindor became animated letting out unrestrained laughter. 

“Lorenz Hellman Gloucester,” he said once he found his breath. “I never knew you had it in you to pull such a prank. Yes, are in agreement.” 

Lorenz sniffed lightly, “It’s Perfect Lorenz Hellman Gloucester to you, and I pulled no such thing. Now, since we are in agreement, I believe it is far past time I escort you back to your tower.”

\----------------------------------------

It was mid-January and winter seemed to have settled over Hogwarts in a flurry of white, following the arrival of the students. However, unlike the influx of students, the snow and had not ceased since. As beautiful as it was, Lorenz did not envy the house elves that had to refresh the castles’ heating charms every couple hour, nor could he help but resent that they stopped doing so after 10 PM. 

Lorenz wound his yellow and black scarf tighter around his neck, doing his best to leave no room for cold to seep through. He was ever so thankful that year for Ferdinand, who had gifted him with a pair of lovely faux mink lined gloves for Christmas, embroidered with an elegant cursive L in their house color, and Raphael who, overhearing Lorenz whinging rather gracelessly in the common room, had gifted him a handful of these wonderful muggle inventions called hand-warmers. He had one packet in each pocket. Together with a self-casted warming charm, he was as comfortable as he could be during these winter night patrols. There was just one more thing he would have liked alas:

“It’s well past curfew, von Riegan.” 

A figure sneaking out of the second-floor bathroom stopped in the shadows before straightening himself to his full height and once again, swinging his arms wide in greeting.

“Why, Lorenz, fancy seeing you here!”

“It’s Perfect Gloucester to you, von Riegan. “

“Claude. Call me Claude. We’re not surrounded by Ministry fogeys anymore.” An unfortunate but inevitable encounter over the break that he didn’t care to recall. “Plus, I thought after all that happened at the end of last year, we’ve gotten much closer?” 

“I believe that the end of last year, we agreed that you would stop breaking curfew, Claude.” Lorenz tried to pour as much disdain in his name as possible. 

“Ah,” the violator said absently, “I thought that clause was only for the duration I was serving detention with Failnaught?” 

Indeed, Claude was no longer in possession of the wyvern, as far as Lorenz knew. From the brief glimpse of the Gryffindor seeker he gotten when ushering the students from the train, there was not a cat-sized lizard mixed with Claude’s belongings. Instead, Claude was carrying a bird cage with a pure white Great Horned owl. He had kept his word in that regard. 

“Too bad we never got it in writing, there’s no way to verify the exact wording of the agreement.” Claude continued on nonchalantly, heedless of the Perfect’s growing ire.

“Claude von Riegan, you dare go against a gentleman’s agreement?” Lorenz hissed.

“Well, I think we can both agree, I am not a really a gentleman.”

“Claude!”

“No, I don’t mean to break it,” he amends honestly, looking Lorenz in his eyes as he pleads, “but have a good reason to be out of bed. I swear!”

“Is it that your owl escaped this time?” Lorenz couldn’t help raising a sardonic eyebrow, not quite trusting Claude’s ‘good reasons’.

“Feh? No, she’s sound asleep—er wide awake—in the room. I just heard some disturbing rumors. Care to help me investigate?”

“This rumor better be good enough to convince me not to hex you right back to your tower.” Despite the threat in Lorenz’s voice, the biggest conspiratory twinkle came into Claude’s green eyes.

“What if I said it involves Slytherin’s darling princess and nominee for next year’s Head Girl, Edelgard von Hresvelg?”

“Though I do not condone the slandering of a fellow student, you have my attention.”

“Ha! I thought I would.” He laughed. “Hilda’s been griping about how Dear Edie hasn’t been showing up for Perfect meetings, increasing her workload.”

“Ah, that does sound like Hilda. I would be lying if I said I didn’t understand how she got elected as Gryffindor's Perfect. Hilda is quite efficient when she wants to be.” Lorenz mused aloud at the mention of his fellow Perfect. And it was true, Edelgard’s behavior after coming back from break was worrisome… "Though I do intend to help your endeavor, Claude, as Perfect, I have a duty to uphold the school rules: Penalty for breaking curfew, fifteen points from Gryffindor.” 

Claude’s victorious smile fell. 

“Now, tell me what you’ve discovered so far.”

**Author's Note:**

> A/N:
> 
> What started off as just a random plot bunny for Hufflepuff!Lorenz being an awkward sad boy (because his father is angry he didn't get sorted into Slytherin, and his housemates initially disliking him because Gloucesters are staunch supporters of Pure Blood Elitism) became an all night obsessive research of pairing wands with FE:3H characters, and then somehow it became this... This one features Post-Sad-Boy!Lorenz, after he befriends his housemates, stops drinking his family's traditional cool-aid, and start to stepping into himself.
> 
> I really would like to share more of my AU HP Setting head canons but it takes me forever to write anything…hence the laziness when it comes to editing. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed despite the bumps. Please comment and let me know what you think. Critiques and Flames are welcome.


End file.
